Brands to Know: Undandy
Have you ever wanted to design your own pair of shoes?!
Maybe this is a generational thing, but I think more and more people these days want to be included in the design process. Either through brand 'transparency in production', the ability to vote for the next product launched, or better yet: designing the actual product itself! We all want to know where our goods come from and we want them to feel special.
So what better way to do that than to customize your clothing to match own personal style?! It goes one step beyond "meeting the maker" of your goods, and lets you be directly involved in the design process. Undandy is a shoe brand that's shaking up the market by allowing you to design every last detail of your shoe. From brogues to sneakers, the sky is the limit when it comes to customization and they're surprisingly affordable! Scroll through this post to see 3 unique shoe designs, two from creators like yourself and one of my own. ;)
All of Undandy's shoes are made by 3rd generation artisans in Portugal (São João da Madeira if you want to get really specific). You can choose any kind of suede, leather or canvas you like and even get the bottom of the shoe engraved if you want to do something extra special for your groomsman on your wedding day.
The slip-on sneakers pictured above are made from a blue woven canvas. It's the same fabric that's on the upper of the monkstrap sneakers in the next look. I loved how the lighter canvas looked against the dark leather shoe. It's a unique twist to a classic shape, so kudos to the guy who designed it on the Undandy site.
SHOP A FEW IN-STOCK STYLES:
This last pair was my own design! I wanted a pair of sneakers that felt elevated, so I could wear them to drinks or events at night, but still had my casual sensibility behind them. I wear denim most of the time, but if I'm going to don a suit, I still want to be able to wear a polished sneaker. This design works with both!
I chose an all navy monkstrap sneaker. Then added the cognac leather detail on the back of the shoe and picked a crisp white sole. I think it's fresh and clean and totally versatile! I can wear it with so many different things!
But that's just me... maybe you have another design in mind that's perfect for you! I'm only showing you the sneaker side of things, they have a whole range of dress shoes to customize too. I loved working with Undandy on this shoe and would love to see other companies approach their products with the same transparency in production and willingness to let the consumers be involved in the process.
Head on over to their site to customize your own. Fair warning: you may be on there for hours coming up with custom shoes. It's a lot of fun and there are a million options!
Comment below with what you come up with. ;)
